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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22569796">A Thousand, Bright</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissScorp/pseuds/MissScorp'>MissScorp</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Prodigal Son (TV 2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Drama, Gen, Gil Arroyo Needs a Hug, Malcolm being Malcolm, Malcolm jacked up his car, Parental Gil Arroyo, Tagged to episode 1x13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:35:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>456</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22569796</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissScorp/pseuds/MissScorp</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The kid asked him how bad it was on a scale of one to twenty. Gil's response? "A thousand, Bright."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gil Arroyo &amp; Malcolm Bright</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>113</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Thousand, Bright</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"On a scale of one to twenty—"</p>
<p>"A thousand, Bright."</p>
<p>Gil's tone was a mixture of bafflement, anger, and shock. He couldn't believe it. He simply couldn't believe Bright launched himself out that window.</p>
<p>Where he landed on the roof of his car.</p>
<p>His car.</p>
<p>
  <em>At least it isn't a crushed Bright. </em>
</p>
<p>That was the only thought rolling through his mind as he stared at the dented remnant of his car's roof. At least it wasn't the kid — <em>his kid</em> — with his head and body smashed on the pavement.</p>
<p>"Gil."</p>
<p>A kid who didn't know when to stand by silently and let him process the situation in his own way.</p>
<p>"This is definitely a thousand, Bright."</p>
<p>"I swear to you that I did not intend to land on your car."</p>
<p>"No." He silently thanked whatever guardian angel was looking out for Bright. <em>They more than have their hands full watching over him</em>. "No, I know you didn't intend to land on it."</p>
<p>That was part of the problem. He knew Bright hadn't intended to land on his car. Something JT decided to specify.</p>
<p>"His skinny ass could have landed on the concrete."</p>
<p>Gil sent JT a look from the corner of his eye.</p>
<p>"Yes, I'm perfectly aware he could have landed on the concrete."</p>
<p>That was what troubled Gil the most. Yes, he was also upset about the damage done to his car. To its potential loss. He was more bothered by what he'd have lost had his car not been parked there.</p>
<p>He almost lost Bright when Carter Burkhead attempted to inject — <em>with the kid's permission</em>! — the paralytic agent he was using to subdue his victims.</p>
<p>Then there was the bite from the poisonous snake.</p>
<p>Getting attacked by a schizophrenic named Dominic and almost shot by a drugged Dr. Brown.</p>
<p>Almost getting his chest cavity crushed by a serial killer crushing his victims in an auto crusher.</p>
<p>The same serial killer who'd kidnap him a few weeks later, stab him, and leave him to slowly bleed to death.</p>
<p>Now he almost lost Bright because he had to jump out of a window to avoid being blown to pieces by a landmine left behind by some revenge seeking killer.</p>
<p>It was too much.</p>
<p>He couldn't handle any more of the kid's near-death experiences.</p>
<p>The kid may not care if he lived or died. Gil did. So did Dani and JT. More than the taciturn detective wanted or was ready to admit.</p>
<p>They just had to get that through to Bright.</p>
<p><em>And that,</em> Gil realized as he backed away so the tow truck driver could finish hooking up his car, <em>is gonna be harder then straightening that mangled top is gonna be</em>.</p>
<p>"Gil?"</p>
<p>"Still a thousand, Bright."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello, all! This piece came to me after watching episode 1x13. Much as I and Gil lament the loss of his car, I think almost losing Bright would hurt him more.</p>
<p>Please, if you like this piece, kudo/bookmark it! Thank you!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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